Aegean Airlines tops new European airline safety index

Aegean Airlines, Ryanair, and Austrian Airlines have secured the top three positions in the 2026 European Airline Safety Index. Published by AirAdvisor, the index evaluated 20 major European airlines, including 10 low-cost and 10 traditional carriers, based on 2025 flight volumes reported by EUROCONTROL.

Aegean Airlines ranked first with a score of 89/100, maintaining a perfect 40/40 safety record with no qualifying accidents between 2016 and 2025. The airline also received high marks in operational safety, fleet quality, and financial stability. Ryanair followed in second place with 86/100, and Austrian Airlines placed third with 85.5/100.

The index utilizes a weighted scoring system across six categories: safety history (40%), certification and audits (20%), operational safety systems (15%), fleet age and technical profile (10%), pilot training (10%), and financial stability (5%). AirAdvisor noted that the index is comparative and should not be interpreted as a definitive measure of whether a specific airline is safe or unsafe.